Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-03-31
Looking Ahead for.Eggs.
RrIral Naw Worker

The complaint this winter among poul-
try keepers is scarcity of eggs. From all
quarters come complaints that eggs are
very scarce. The farmers or poultrymen
with large stock of hens to feed find it
trying time when eggs are very dear IT
he fails to receive but little return. In
some winters this is the case much more
than in others. The great consideration
is how to manage poultry to bring about
the best results for winter laying, for
eggs in most cases are of more import
ance than chickens for market. It is not
unwise to defer this question till spring
or summer. 1t is then too late, but 1T
must have attention now, if we are to
expect better results next winter. The
best way to be we'll supplied with fine,
early-laying puilets is to breed them your
self; for they are generally so scarce that
any person who may have such extra
stock will generally ask more than one
can afford TO pay for them. l have found
the best way is to keep few of some
hardy variety to lay in fall and winter
and sit early in spring. If raised very
early the previous spring, they will gen
orally lay out their first clutches and be
ready to sit by the time older birds are
about to commence to lay. The breed
selected may be Light Brahmas, Plym-
outh Rocks, WyandOttes or any cross
having half Asiatic blood; but | would
prefer one of the last two mentioned, as
the birds are not so clumsy as the large,
feather legged Brahmas. The eggs to be
Matched should be mostly Leghorns, with
a few from some sitting breed Gas before
mentioned) for next season.
Now comes the difficulty of Matching
enough chicks at one time, as it is the
general experience that early sitters do
not hatch as large percentage as hens
that sit later. There are several reasons
for this: In the first place, the heat of
the hen in cold weather will hardly reach
theouter edges of the nest, SO that some
eggs do not receive sufficient heat; and
another reason is, neglect or difficulty In
collecting the eggs from the nests before
they become chilled, SO that from these
other causes often not more than so
per cent of the eggs are Matched by early
Matching hens, and most of them could
care for six or eight more little ones.
This is where an incubator comes into
the best advantage, i'll my estimation,
for these extra. chicks can be artifcially
Matched and distributed to the hens. 1t
must be remembered that the same care
must be taken in procuring eggs that
will prove fertile as in procuring the
right sort of hens.
[ will now give an experience that
might have saved many disappoint-
ment, and also avoided much misunder-
standing as to the quality of the ma
chine.
It Ms of no use trying to hatch these
early chickens in February or March
70.
ject TO all the various changes of temper
allure of these trying months. The
machine must be in protected build
ing, warmed with as even temperature
as possible-the more even tho tempera-
ture which surrounds the incubator, the
better the prospects of success; even
cellar is better than any shed. Although
a good machine is furnished with appli-
ances for regulating the heat, these can
not be relied on, especially when subject
ed to severe changes. as the eggs will be
SO much affected as to produce poor re-
suits. Not many farmers have time to
attend TO incubators; but where there is
a family it will sometimes prove a source
of amusement as well as of profit to one
of its members to attend one or two
hatchings at time of the year when
other employments are not pressing. Of
course, proper management must be
studied and the removal of infertile eggs
and the substitution of fresh ones after
the first few days will be rather an ad-
vantage. as then all the eggs wont be
Matching at once, as in all probability
the hens will be set one after anoth-
er. When the hens and chicks
are ready each mother may receive twelve
or fifteen chicks. These must be kept in
a warm place: or an outbullding with win
dows facing south will be good for the
first few weeks. Afterward they should
be kept in sheltered places in coops. 1t
is best to have a small wire Enclosure be-
fore each coop to keep the chicks from
straying too far in the cold; but princi-
pally to teach them to keep their own
coops till such good habits are formed.